Norman reveals why he 'choked' to allow Faldo to win 1996 Masters... and it was all due to a bad back

Norman reveals why he 'choked' to allow Faldo to win 1996 Masters... and it was all due to a bad back

It is remembered as one of the greatest sporting ‘chokes’ of all time, but Greg Norman has finally revealed the real reason he blew the 1996 Masters — a bad back.
Norman held a six-stroke lead over Nick Faldo heading into the final round at Augusta 17 years ago, then crashed to a disastrous 78 while Faldo, now Sir Nick, shot a 67 to win by five shots.

It's mine: Faldo hugs Norman after winning the 1996 Masters

But Aussie Norman said: ‘There’s more to it than people realise because I did have back issues that morning.
‘I tried to walk it off but I couldn’t. I told my coach, “Today’s not going to be easy”.’
It was Norman’s third agonising Masters near miss. He finished runner-up in 1986, bogeying the last hole to miss out on a play-off with Jack Nicklaus.

Down and out: Greg Norman slumps to the floor during the final round at Augusta

A year later, he lost in a play-off to Larry Mize, who chipped in to win.

After that 1996 collapse, Norman, now 58, told Australian broadcaster ABC: ‘I disappeared down to the beach… and lay on the beach and cried, because I felt like I’d completely screwed up winning a tournament that I wanted to win.
'That would be about the only time I would have brought the emotion of a golf tournament back home.’

Demoralised: Norman lost a six-stroke lead over Faldo heading into the final round

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